Palpable tension has gripped Idanre in Ondo State over the filling of the vacant Owa stool following the death of the late Oba Fredrick Adegunle Aroloye in December 2024.
The family of the late monarch, through their lawyer, Akinyemi Omoware, petitioned Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, urging him to direct the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to adhere strictly to the Registered Chieftaincy Declaration and the Government White Paper on the Morgan Chieftaincy Review Commission of 1981.
In the letter, Omoware alleged that the Ministry, under Commissioner Alhaji Amidu Takuro, was supporting a Mr. Kayode Aroloye, who is reportedly ineligible for the throne, in an attempt to circumvent the established rules. According to the petition, only sons of previous Owas qualify for the stool, and nine of the twelve recognized kingmakers are alive and able to carry out the selection. The family warned that any attempt to sidestep the law could spark crises and disrupt the long-standing peace in the community.
Reacting, Commissioner Takuro denied the allegations, describing them as “completely false and misleading.” He emphasized that the state government does not, and cannot, impose a monarch on any community. The commissioner noted that all interested princes had been referred to the kingmakers, who alone are responsible for determining eligibility in line with tradition and law.
The dispute highlights ongoing sensitivities around traditional leadership succession in Idanre, underscoring the community’s insistence on respecting historical protocols while balancing government oversight.
Leave a comment